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Jack and Belle decided to take a walk around the town under the stars. It was a romantic evening, and they were giggling the whole time. When suddenly a man stood in front of them.
“Give me everything you have!” he hollered, and Belle was shocked. Jack on the other hand wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t endanger Belle, but he also didn’t want to do it. But Belle was more important.
“Fine, here,” Jack said and threw his money sachet to the thief.
“And your ring, missy,” the man said and reached out for Belle’s hand. Jack wouldn’t let him touch her, so he punched him in the face. The man boggled in surprise and Jack took advantage of the moment, took Belle’s hand, and dragged her away. They were running away like little kids and stopped only many streets away.
“I get why you were called Dodger,” Belle said, and she was breathing heavily. She wasn’t used to running around.
“All instincts stick,” Jack shrugged his shoulders and Belle suddenly hit him lightly.
“But that was so stupid, you foolish foolish man, he could’ve had a knife or something and he could’ve hurt you!” Belle said angrily but then took his hand tenderly.
“But I am your foolish man,” Jack winked at her and then hissed when she touched his knuckles.
“Yes, we should get home and take care of it. It was really foolish, Jack, but thank you for protecting me,” she kissed him on the cheek, and they set off home.
“Always.”
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The whole hospital was always in a rush. That was a constant. The staff dealt with it with quick decisions. So, when some nobleman came with a broken leg, Hetty chose Jack as his doctor without even thinking about it.
“Welcome Mr. Scott, I am Doctor Dawkins, and I am about to be your treating doctor. You have a broken leg, I am going to ether you – make you sleep, and then I will fix your leg,” Jack explained patiently.
“No,” the man said, and Jack was a bit shocked.
“No?”
“No, I know you. You are a common thief, The Artful Dodger,” the man answered, and this time Jack was truly shocked. This never happened to him before, strangers didn’t randomly recognize him.
“I am sorry, but our other doctors are busy, I am your only option,” Jack stated when he pulled himself together.
“I will wait, I’d rather die than be treated by a filthy thief!” he yelled for everyone to hear him. Jack’s past wasn't common knowledge. The Fox family and himself tried to make it as invisible as it was possible. He was Head Surgeon now; people couldn’t just yell around that he used to be a thief.
“What is going on?” Belle asked as she walked in. Jack couldn’t help himself and found her breathtaking. She had a simple dress, her hair combed up and her hands were still dirty of blood.
“I don’t want this dirty thief to be my doctor, sister! I can’t believe that you let people like him hang around, let alone become doctors.”
“I am a doctor, mister. And the gentleman in front of you is our Head Surgeon and, in my opinion, also the best doctor of his time. You are a fool to not want him. I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Belle said definitely.
“Female doctor and thief doctor, this whole country is mad! I have a broken leg, doctor, if you haven’t registered,” the man said mockingly, and Jack was about to do something, but Belle put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head.
“I am not going to stand around and let you insult my husband. If you want the help then you should apologize until then we don’t have anything to talk about,” Belle said and took Jack’s hand and dragged him away from that yelling man.
“I am the best doctor of my time?” Jack asked with a raised eyebrow and Belle pushed him a little with a smile.
“Of course you are,” she answered sincerely.
Jack kissed her passionately.
The man apologized in the end and Jack fixed his leg.
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They were performing another operation in front of a full auditorium. It was nearing the end when suddenly Belle didn’t feel well. She had to step back from the table and positioned her hand on her heart. Jack immediately registered that and looked at her with questions in his eyes. He was worried.
Belle sometimes hated it. Every time she displayed even the smallest sign of not feeling well, Jack got immediately absurdly worried. He would stop the world to help her in any way he could.
Belle smiled at him and shook her head. He still looked at her, not truly believing her, and she saw him calculate his choices. He would love to just find out immediately what just happened, but he knew that she would hate him for stopping the operation and mending around her in front of all these men. So, he finished the task in record time, said goodbyes to the crowd and rushed Belle into more private space.
“What happened? Are you okay?” Jack asked quickly and he was already examining her, taking her face into his palms and looking at her properly.
“Yes, yes, of course, that I am okay, Jack,” she said and stepped away from his touch.
“Then what happened?” he asked desperately.
“I just didn’t feel well for a moment, nothing else, nothing dramatic,” she shrugged.
“Belle.”
“I mean it, I think I might eat something bad and now my stomach feels weird. I am alright, Jack, truly,” she said and took his hands into hers.
“Are you?” he asked, and his voice cracked a little bit. She could hear everything at that moment. He worried about her so much all the time, he was just hiding it well enough most of the time. She understood it, of course, she couldn’t imagine his position.
“I am, truly, I would never lie to you, my dearest husband,” she said sweetly, and he finally smiled.
“Good, fine, thank you,” he squeezed her hand, and everything was alright.